Nicholas T. Lappas

In 1975, Nicholas T. Lappas was one of the first two full-time members appointed to the Department of Forensic Sciences, and since then has been a member of the graduate faculty of The George Washington University. He has taught several graduate courses, including Forensic Toxicology, Medicinal Chemistry, Analytical Toxicology and Forensic Serology, and has served as an advisor for M.F.S. and M.S.F.S. candidates in Forensic and Chemical Toxicology. He served on the committee that developed the combined B.S./M.S. degree program in Chemical Toxicology, the Faculty Senate Committee on University Resources and Development and currently is the Director Of Graduate Studies in the department.

Prior to his position at GW, Dr. Lappas was a forensic toxicologist with The Allegheny County Coroner's Office in Pittsburgh, Pa., for five years. His duties included detecting drugs in post-mortem samples, conducting drug analyses on hospital samples and supervising a program of drug detection in samples obtained from addicts enrolled in treatment programs.

His research interests include an evaluation of factors that influence the interpretation of analytical toxicology results, the effects of sample storage conditions on drug concentrations and the development of analytical toxicology methods. He is a member of The American Academy of Forensic Sciences and The Society of Forensic Toxicology.

His professional activities include acting as a consultant in more than 300 criminal and civil cases and as an expert witness in more than 100 cases. In addition, Dr. Lappas has served on the Fairfax County Public Schools Area III Steering Committee on Substance Abuse and has developed and participated in drug abuse education programs in Fairfax County Schools.